Auxiliary dental tray



March 10, 1959 B Q AUXILIARY DENTAL TRAY Filed Jan. 25, 1956 INVENTOR AARON Z.SHEVSKY BREUS 5 Gm RNEYS HISA O United States PatentO AUXILIARY DENTAL TRAY Aaron Z. Shevsky Breus, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application January 23, 1956, Serial No. 560,700

Claims. (Cl. 32-22) This invention relates to an auxiliary dental tray having facilities mounted thereon for the convenience of a dental practitioner.

The conventional equipment for a dentists ofiice includes a tray supported on a swinging arm so that the tray can be positioned in proximity to the patient in the dental chair. The dentist ordinarily uses this tray for supporting the various instruments, bottles, cotton, swabs, etc. which he finds it necessary to use in his work on a patient. Needless to say, these articles may become disarranged on the tray, bottles spilled, sterilized articles subjected to contamination, and articles shifted around or otherwise become inaccessible, all to the inconvenience of the dentist and impeding him in his work.

The auxiliary dental tray of the present invention provides a platform for a number of the facilities that would otherwise be placed on the main or conventional dental tray. The auxiliary dental tray may be mounted to any convenient part or fixture of the dental equipment, and a particularly convenient location may be adjacent the outer periphery of the main dental tray.

The auxiliary dental tray of the present invention supports thereon a plurality of bottle holders and a plurality of receptacles, such as for cotton, swabs and waste material. The bottle holders and receptacles are anchored to the auxiliary tray, and some may be detachably mounted thereto for cleaning, refilling, etc. The auxiliary dental tray may also provide means for aflixing thereto a pad of mixing sheets and a cup or holder for a dappen or mixing dish or glass.

A particular feature of the present invention is the unique structure of the bottle holders. When for convenience the dentist desires to have the contents of a bottle readily accessible, he will ordinarily set the bottle upon the conventional dental tray. If the contents of the bottle are such that it is desirable that the bottle be capped whenever possible, the dentist must go to the trouble of uncapping and then recapping the bottle before and after each use. In addition to the increased risk of the bottle being upset during the capping and uncapping thereof, the procedure is most inconvenient and timeconsuming for the dentist. The bottle holder of the present invention is in the form of a receptacle into which an open bottle may be inserted. The receptacle is provided with a lid or cover hinged thereto which is spring-urged to open position, and the lid is provided with a releasable catch engageable with the receptacle for locking the lid closed. Moreover, the lid accommodates therein a bottle cover which is spring pressed against the open end of the bottle when the lid is closed. When, therefore, the dentist desires to have access to the contents of the bottle, he may merely release the catch on the lid, permitting the lid and the bottle cover therein to spring open. After he has had access to the contents of the bottle, he may snap the lid closed with assurance that the open end of the bottle will be automatically and effectively re-covered.

Another feature of the present invention is thereceptacle for waste material. The waste receptacle is adapted 2 ,876,542 Patented Mar. 10, 1959 to accommodate therein a disposable cup or container for receiving the waste material. tainer may contain a plurality of downwardly extending slots equally spaced apart in the periphery thereof. Also, the receptacle may include an opening of predetermined length formed therein through which an instrument may be inserted to engage the container. In use, the container will be so positioned relative to the receptacle that one of the slots thereof is in operative position. This slot is adapted to receive therein the end of an instrument, such as college pliers, used to dispose of waste material. As the pliers are drawn outwardly through the slot, the waste material will be readily removed therefrom and received into the disposable container. When a new patient is in the chair, the dentist may insert an instrument through the opening of predetermined length in the receptacle, and the movement of the instrument from one end of the opening to the other will effect the rotation of the container within the receptacle to bring a different slot thereof into operative position. Thus, a sterilized instrument used on the new patient will not be contaminated by the slot used for the disposal of waste material when the previous patient was in the chair.

These and other features of the present invention will be apparent when the present invention is fully understood. For a complete understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the detailed description which follows and to the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the auxiliary dental tray of the present invention mounted adjacent the outer periphery of a conventional dental tray;

Figure 2 is an elevation view of the auxiliary dental tray of the present invention; 1 Figure 3 is an exploded view of the disposable wast container and the receptacle therefor; it is also a view 1 taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 5 is a cross-section view of the bottle holder taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The auxiliary tray 10 of the present invention is mounted adjacent the outer periphery of a main dental tray 11 which is standard dental equipment; As shown in Figure 2, the main tray 11 is supported by a swinging arm 12 by means of which the main tray 11 may be moved toward and away from the dental chair. The auxiliary tray 10 may be mounted to the main tray by any suitable means, such as by bolts (not shown). It, of course, should be understood that the auxiliary dental tray 10 of the present invention may be mounted to other parts of standard dental equipment, if desired.

The auxiliary dental tray 10 of the present invention accommodates a plurality of bottle holders 13 arranged in arcuate array adjacent and just outboard of the outer curved periphery of the dental tray 10. In the preferred form shown in the drawing, the auxiliary dental tray 10 of the present invention also accommodates a holder 14 for a dappen or mixing dish or glass 15, a receptacle 16 for swabs 17, a cotton dispensing receptacle 18, a waste receptacle 19 for a disposable cup or container 20, and a clip 21 for a pad 22 of mixing sheets. The receptacles 16, 18 and 19 may, if desired, be provided with hinged covers.

The bottle holders 13, as best shown in Figure 5, comprise generally a receptacle 23 for receiving a bottle 24 therein, and a lid or cover 25 pivotally mounted to the re ceptacle 23 by means of a hinge 26. The hinge26 ac- The disposable conassuage commodates a coil springthereon (not shown) which normally urges the lid To open" position, "that is today, the position shown in phantom lines in Figure 5. The bottle 24 is centered within the receptacle 23 by means of gasket 27, which may 'bemade of resilient material to grip the bottle therein. The receptacle 23 is provided with'a resiliently mounted catch 28 which, when the lid is closed, engages a lip or projection 29 formed on the lid 25, thereby locking the lid 25 in closed position.

inside the lid 25 there is accommodated a stopple 30 to cover and eifectively seal the open end of the bottle 24. The neck of the bottle 24 and the stopple may be of spe cial design with the stopple 30' tapered toward the lower end thereof to engage and register itself with respect to the open end of the bottle when the lid25 is closed. The outer rim or periphery 31 of the stopple conforms to the shape of the outer periphery of the neck of the bottle forming a depression between the rim'and the tapered portion of the stopple. A resilient gasket 32 surrounding the tapered portion 30 of the stopple and'engaging a groove therein is inserted in the depression to insure an effective seal.

Thetapered stopple 39 is supported to the underside of "a "support member 33 which is mounted to the inside of the lid 25 by means of a compressible spring 34. It is understood, therefore, that when the lid 25 is pivoted to closed position, the stopple 30 will engage the open end of the bottle, the tapering formation thereof insuring selfregistration between the open end of the bottle and the stopple, and the spring 34 will be compressed so that the stopple will be pressure urged against. the open end of the bottle. The lid may be readily opened merely by releasing the catch 28 to disengage it from the lip 29, permitting the lid 25 and stopple 30 to pivot to inoperative position,exposing the contents of the bottle.

The cotton dispenser 18 may be best described in connection with Figure 4. The receptacle 13 is detachably mounted to the upper surface of the auxiliary tray by means of the keyhole slots 35 formed in the outwardly disposed flange 36 at the base of the receptacle 18, which slots are engageable with the heads 37 of pins 38 upstanding from the uppersurface of the auxiliary tray. Thus, the receptacle is affixed to the upper surface of the tray merely by inserting the heads 37 through the enlarged portions of the keyhole slots 35 and twisting the receptacle so that the heads will engage the narrower portions of the slots 35.

The receptacle 18 is adapted to cover a refill container 39' for the cotton 40. The base 41 of the refill container 39 is movable upwardly by means of a compression spring 42 affixed to the upper surface of the auxiliary tray. Aligned openings 3% and 18a of the refill container and the receptacle, respectively, permit the cotton to'be Withdrawn from the upper end of the receptacle, and the compressible spring 42 insures that the cotton supply is urged upwardly toward the aligned openings.

The cotton swab dispenser i6 is also provided with an outwardly extending flange 44 at the base thereof to permit the dispenser to be detachably mounted to the auxiliary tray in the same manner as the receptacle 18. The dispenser 16 is adapted to receive therein a refill container for the swabs.

The Waste disposal receptacle 19 is of circular cross-- section and tapers toward the lower end thereof. The base thereof is provided with an outwardly disposed flange 46 which is detachably mounted to the upper surface of the auxiliary tray 10. As best shown in Figure 3, the receptacle 19 is adapted to accommodate a disposable paper cup or container 26 having a plurality of parallel slots 47 formed therein, preferably from the upper edge thereof. The slots 47 are spaced equally from each other and extend'downwardly from the upper edge of the container.

In the form shown in the drawing, the receptacle 19 is provided with a single L-shaped slot 48 which includes a portion 48d extending downwardly from the upper edge of the receptacle and a portion 48b extending circumfereiit'ially'dfth'e receptacle. In operative positionftlie container 20 is disposed inside the receptacle with the upper end of one of the slots 47 aligned with the upper end of the slot 48. Therefore, waste material handled by an instrument, such as college pliers, may be conveniently removed therefrom and deposited within the open end of the container 20 by inserting the end of the instrument in the aligned slots 47, 48, the waste material dropping into the container 20 as the instrument is withdrawn through the aligned slots.

The same slot in the container is maintained in opera tive position and used while the dentist is working on a particular patient. When the dentist has completed or is about to'complete the work on the patient and before a new patient comes into the chair, the instrument may be inserted within the aligned slots 47, 48, the instrument being moved downwardly through the portion 48a and then through the circumferential portion 48b of the slot. With the instrument still engaged with the slot 47 of the container, the container 20 will be rotated within the receptacle 19 and, if the circumferential portion 48b of the slot is of proper length, a different slot 47 of the container will be brought into operative relationship relative to the upper end of the slot 48. Thus, when a sterilized instrument is used to handle the waste material for a subsequent patient, it will not be contaminated by contact with the slot of the container used for a previous patient. At the end of the day, the container 20 may be removed and disposed of.

it is understood that the slots 47, 48 are not necessarily formed in the upper edge of the container and receptacle 20, 19, respectively, but may be formed in the body thereof beneath openings therein to receive the waste material. Also, it should be understood that the portions 48a and 48b of the slot 48 may be separated and that a' diagonal slot, an arcnate slot or an opening of fixed length other than a slot may be provided to effect rotation of the container 20. If the container is made sufficiently rigid, the slot 48a may even be eliminated. Furthermore, the container 20 may be slidably adjusted in the receptacle 20 instead of rotatably adjusted therein.

The present invention, therefore, affords these various facilities conveniently located to the main tray 11 of the conventional dental equipment. The bottle holders 13 and various receptacles 14, 16, 18 and 1 are all anchored to the tray 11 (although, as mentioned, some are detachably mounted thereto) to prevent them from being accidentally displaced or upsetting. The various facilities are arranged on the auxiliary tray for maximum accessibility, and the number of articles which the dentist would ordinarily have to place on the tray 11 is greatly reduced.

The present invention has been shown and described in preferred form and by way of example only, and obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. The invention, therefore, is not to be limited to any specified form or embodiment except in so far as such limitations are set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. An auxiliary dental tray comprising a platform attachable to a part of dental equipment, a plurality of receptacles mounted to the platform, at least one thereof detachably mounted to the platform, one of said receptacles including a hinged lid spring-urged to open position, a releasable catch normally locking the lid in closed position, a spring-urged bottle cover mounted to said lid engageable under pressure With the open end of a bottle within the receptacle when the lid is locked in closed position, another of said receptacles being adapted to receive a disposable container therein, said container having a plurality of slots formed in the upper edge thereof to facilitate the removal of waste material from an instrument inserted within one of said slots, and said receptacle'having an opening of predetermined length formed therein whereby an instrument inserted within said opening and one of the slots of said container aligned therewith can affect the rotation of the container relative to the receptacle to bring another slot of the container into operative position with respect to the opening in the receptacle.

2. An auxiliary dental tray as set forth in claim 1 wherein the receptacle detachably mounted to the platform is a cotton dispenser, said receptacle including an opening in the top of said receptacle for the removal of the cotton therefrom, and a compressible spring mounted to the platform within said receptacle urging the cotton therein upwardly toward the opening.

3. An auxiliary dental tray as set forth in claim 1 including a holder for a mixing dish mounted to said platform. 1

4. An auxiliary dental tray as set forth in claim 1 including a spring clip mounted to the platform for holding a pad of mixing sheets thereto.

5. An auxiliary dental tray comprising a platform, a receptacle for an open bottle mounted on said platform, a lid hinged to the receptacle, a spring pivotally urging the lid to open position, a catch to lock the lid closed, said catch being releasable to permit the spring to pivot the lid to open position, a tapered bottle stopple accommodated in the lid, and a support for said bottle stopple yieldingly mounted in the lid, whereby the stopple engages the open end of the bottle under pressure when the lid is closed and the stopple is removed from the open end of the bottle when the lid is pivoted to open position.

6. An auxiliary dental tray comprising a platform, a receptacle mounted on the platform, a waste container accommodated within the receptacle, said waste container having a plurality of slots therein to facilitate the removal of waste material from an instrument, an open-- ing of predetermined length in the receptacle, said opening being capable of receiving an instrument therein engageable with the container, the movement of said instrument in said opening adjusting the container to bring a different slot in the container into operative position.

7. An auxiliary dental tray comprising a platform, a receptacle mounted on the platform, a waste container accommodated within the receptacle, said waste container having a plurality of slots formed therein to facilitate the removal of Waste material from the instrument, an opening in the receptacle for inserting the waste material in the container, a slot formed adjacent the opening, the open end of said slot being aligned with the open end of the slot in operative position of the container, and a slot in the receptacle extending generally horizontally through which an instrument can be inserted to engage the container and move it relative to the receptacle to bring a different slot in the container into operative position.

8. An auxiliary dental tray comprising a platform, a receptacle of circular cross-section detachably mounted to the platform, a disposable container accommodated within said receptacle, said disposable container having a plurality of slots formed in the upper edge thereof, said slots extending downwardly from said upper edge, a slot formed in the upper edge of said receptacle, and a slot extending generally circumferentially of said receptacle, whereby, when the upper end of the slot in the upper edge of the receptacle is aligned with the upper end of one of the slots in the container, said slots facilitate the removal of waste material from an instrument inserted in the open ends of the slots, and as the instrument is moved in said circumferential slot in the receptacle it engages the container to rotate it in the receptacle to bring a difierent slot in the container into alignment with the upper end of the slot in the upper edge of the receptacle.

9. An auxiliary dental tray as set forth in claim 8 wherein the slots in the receptacle are connected in L-shape.

1-0. An auxiliary dental tray as set forth in claim 8 wherein the horizontal length of the circumferential slot is equal to the distance between the slots in the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 327,225 Bleton et al Sept. 29, 1885 1,329,466 Miller Feb. 3, 1920 1,620,407 Streif Mar. 8, 1927 2,034,006 Smith Mar. 17, 1936 2,710,108 Zarra June 7, 1955 

